The present invention relates to compositions for preventing dental caries. More particularly, it relates to fluoride-containing compositions that have enhanced activity in preventing dental caries.
The use of soluble fluoride salts, such as stannous fluoride and sodium fluoride, to reduce the incidence of dental caries in the general population is a well-known and ongoing endeavor. The administration of these fluoride compounds takes many forms, including the fluoridation of drinking water, professional treatment by dentists and incorporation in oral hygiene compositions such as dentifrices and mouthrinses.
Notwithstanding the widespread acceptance of such compositions, there is an ongoing search for more effective compositions and, therefore, there is a need to enhance the fluoride activity of various fluoride compounds by the addition of other compounds. In copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 303,284, filed Sept. 17, 1981, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,599, there is suggested the use of various zinc salts to enhance the activity of fluoride compounds.
One of the objects of the present invention is to provide improved compositions for preventing dental caries.
Another object of this invention is to provide anticaries compositions comprising one or more anticaries compounds in combination with a compound which enhances the anticaries activity of said anticaries compounds. These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the foregoing description.